Dreamscape
by JD Santiago
Summary: An injured Al wakes up in a hospital in a strange place called Munich. Not good! How will he be able to find his brother now? But is Ed really as far away as he thinks? And why was he brought to Munich in the first place?
1. At the Beginning

A/N: Hello everyone! This is my first FMA fic. It's not as good as most out there yet but I still hope you'll enjoy. I've just seen the series and watched the movie. I liked the movie and I'm glad Ed and Al are finally together. And although the Elrics weren't able to stay in Armestis, it makes perfect sense why, and I hardly find any other way to go around it that doesn't mean I like that part however.

**Notes:**

-This story begins four year after the series and this is Postseries AU meaning movie-verse never existed

-Pairings are indefinite, because they're not really the focus of the story. Therefore you can think of whatever pairing you'd like in this fanfic. But I'm telling you I have no intention for romance in the story.

-Lastly, this story is AlEd centric no, not Elricest. Particularly Al-centric because I love Alphonse and I haven't read much stories centering him. Anyone knows some good Al stories? Please let me know

**Disclaimer: **Fullmetal Alchemist is and will never be mine. Otherwise I wouldn't be writing this fanfic now, would I?

ENJOY THE SHOW!

**

* * *

Dreamscape:**

**Chapter I – At the Beginning**

"**_Kimi no kudake chitta yume no hahen ga Boku no mune o sashite …  
_**"The broken pieces of your dream Pierce my heart…  
**_Wasurete wa ikenai itami toshite Kizamareteku…"  
_**Leaving the pain That I should never forget…"

* * *

**_Central Headquarters_**

_**1921**_

"Sir, I know this is a stupid question, but how did all this happen…AGAIN?"

Roy Mustang let out a frustrated sigh as he leaned on his seat in their cab, his unpatched eye gazing around the city.

"As you can see some of the citizens have it against the current government." Roy said smoothly. "So they decided to take it all out on a bloody massacre/rebellion as you can see right now. Normally, something like this won't escalate to such a gruesome state with our soldiers' numbers and capabilities, but—"

"—apparently they had the help of some disgruntled Alchemists, correct?"

"Yes." Roy paused. "And based on the reports I've gathered, it seems like the Alchemists caught our soldiers by surprise and quickly outnumbered them. And what's worse, the rough count of the rebel Alchemists present count from ten to twenty at most—which is why we called for you and the other state Alchemists available. Do you understand everything now, Major Elric?"

The boy, Alphonse Elric, eyed the man warily before nodding slowly. "Of course, General."

Roy had always found it hard to believe (as well as amusing) that this gentle, even-tempered boy is the younger brother of the passionate and rather reckless Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric.

Physically, the Elric brothers aren't that far apart—other than Al's blonde hair having a dark shade, his eyes being metallic gray and being more blessed height-wise, they looked a lot like each other.

Dare he say, Al was looking more and more like Ed each passing year.

He recalled the first time he met Alphonse—the real Alphonse whose body has been rightfully restored by Ed's sacrifice four years ago.

He was small, naturally for a timid eleven year old. His blond hair was already long and tied back to a ponytail because it wasn't long enough to be braided yet. He was wearing the same black top, the same black pants and the same red coat Ed used to be wearing. But his eyes were nothing like Ed's.

It snapped Roy out of his reverie that this boy, for a moment, was Edward Elric.

The boy had come at that time because he wanted to know about the people's alchemist the Fullmetal Alchemist, who was allegedly his brother.

At that time, Roy was already informed that Al has lost all his memories from the four years he and Ed had toiled to restore their bodies and quested for the Philosopher's Stone. He was reluctant at first, but eventually he agreed to tell him as much as he can about the elder Elric.

This resulted to Al constantly visiting the Central Headquarters, hearing stories about his brother's achievements and befriending officials who already knew him.

He had also found a trustworthy confidant in Roy and his other subordinates— he had even told Roy of his theory that his brother wasn't dead but merely somewhere beyond the Gate and that Al was determined to find him no matter what.

Roy however never thought that by what Al meant by that is that he would enlist himself in the military as a State Alchemist.

At the age of twelve, following his brother's footsteps, Al had passed the Exams and became the second youngest State Alchemist in history. He had gloves with transmutation circles on them made with Roy's help, had received his pocket watch from the said General and was given the title "Soul Alchemist" by the State.

By his certification, Al was able to access the military records and research papers to his heart's content that he believed would help him in his search for his estranged brother. He was away most of the time, following leads much like they used to four years ago, only returning to Central when Roy would call for him, just like today. Normally, Roy wouldn't want to disturb Al's work, especially because of something like this.

But now he didn't have much of a choice—the State needed their Soul Alchemist.

* * *

Al and Roy got down from the cab to a ruined building which was converted to a makeshift base and treatment facility for the military. Here, the many victims that were unable to be accommodated at the hospitals nearby were being treated by some of the volunteer health professionals. At the end of the building was the assembly of the military personnel who were assessing the damages and preparing for the next possible attack.

"General Armstrong sir, Lt. Col. Havoc, good afternoon." Al greeted to the first two officers that he and Roy met.

"Ah, our Soul Alchemist has come to grace our presence. Welcome!" Armstrong said patted the boy on the back as gently as he could (but Al still stumbled anyway).

"Hey kid, General, glad you could join us here." Havoc greeted, a smug smile on his face.

Roy offered a small smile in return before he spoke. "So anyway, what's our status?"

"Not so bad, but not good either, sir." Everyone turned their heads to the approaching Riza Hawkeye, who had a grim look on her face. "Two hours ago, the rebels have withdrawn their men and are still in hiding. Our men would've gone in search of them if they could, but the rebel's alchemists have done a good number of damage on our troops. Reinforcements are said to arrive after an hour. But we have no clue if they will arrive before the rebels strike again."

"I see." Roy frowned in frustration. "Did you see how many alchemists they have and what they're capable of?"

"I'd say around ten to fifteen alchemists. Most are good, but they're not as good as the State Alchemists we have I daresay." Armstrong commented. "But we aren't sure yet if they're the only alchemists these rebels have."

"That does sound grave." Al spoke up. "Do we have any plans?"

"We don't know where the rebels are yet and there are no signs of them attacking—"

"General!" A soldier, a Lieutenant, cut off Armstrong, his face pale and panicky. "The rebels' alchemists, they've returned."

"Shit, that's just what we need!" Roy frowned. "Looks like we'll have to do without those reinforcements, Colonel Hawkeye…how many troops do we have left, Havoc?"

"Erm…" Havoc paused. "I'd say thirty more men, more or less."

"And how many alchemists did you say were heading this way, Lieutenant?"

"Uh…I'd say twelve, with some backup soldiers around twenty."

"All right…our numbers are good enough for them I hope. Gather all our men right now. We have to make this quick. We're running out of time."

"Excuse me, General?"

All eyes turned to the youngest member of their faculty.

Al's grey eyes bored into Roy's charcoal ones. "If you don't mind, I have a proposition…"

* * *

And so it was decided.

Alphonse bravely scoured through the burnt city of war torn Central alone in an effort to locate the enemy's base of operations, infiltrate then destroy as much as he can.

Roy and Armstrong, naturally, objected to the idea as much as they could. But the boy already had his foot down. After pointing out that they don't have forces or time left to spare, a surprise infiltration could help out, at most.

Besides, the boy added, he could take care of himself. After all, he was the brother of the Fullmetal Alchemist, right?

Al sighed in annoyance as he slipped through the wreckage while trying to remain unseen, still unable to search for any sign of success.

_The Ishbals can't have gone so far from here. They've got to be hiding somewhere… _"Darn it, why do hideouts have to be so conspicuous—wait a minute!"

Al paused as he saw someone run down the path to an open manhole.

_And that someone wasn't wearing a military uniform. _"What could that be…?"

Not even stopping to consider his decision, Al quietly sneaked after the man jumped down the hole.

And the sight that greeted him wasn't anywhere near what he was expecting.

"Great…a maze of sewerage pipes. Oh joy." Al said snidely as he looked around. He barely caught sight of a shadow heading north from him.

_No time to gaze at the wonder of Central Underground, I guess. _Al thought as he ran up north to follow the said shadow.

* * *

Al tried his best to stay out of view while surveying the scene before him.

At most, he counted, there were still about twelve alchemists in the area, with armored guards in every corner.

Usually the sight of several armored guards would've scared many. But for young Alphonse, he smiled a bit—like it was an advantage.

And to widen his smile more, there were also a line of unmanned armors.

_Which is exactly what I need…_ Al thought as he clapped his hands in anticipation. _Now these rebels find out why I'm called the Soul Alchemist._

Roy cursed as he ran impatiently around the grounds. Their plan was working so far, but there was still no sign of Alphonse. And that was unnerving him to the bone.

"Alphonse, where the hell are you?" He muttered as he snapped his fingers to create a fire to eliminate his incoming opponents.

"General," an incoming Private reported. "We've searched everywhere and there's still no sign of Major Elric."

_Damn it, Al, what's taking you so long? We can't afford to lose another Elric_! Roy frowned, visibly worried. "Armstrong, you take charge from here, will you?"

"But Mustang," Armstrong asked. "Where are you going?"

"To find Al," he replied tersely. "If Al's right about him being alive, Fullmetal will probably have my head for letting Al join the military. But he'll never forgive me if something happens to his brother now."

* * *

The chaos happening underground was rather unpleasant, even for Al, who caused it.

Using alchemy, he transferred a part of his detachable soul into the unmanned armors and made them attack.

The armored guards and alchemists, in total confusion, began turning in on each other, thinking that any armored men could be their enemy.

"Ook, this was a lot messier than I expected." Al muttered. "Looks like I have to come out in the open now…"  
"HEY, YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" An armored guard shouted, making the boy jump. "YOU'RE FROM THE MILITARY, AREN'T YOU!"

_Ah damn! _Al thought as he rolled away to avoid the onslaught of bullets.

"INTRUDER ALERT! THERE'S A SOLDIER IN OUR BASE! HE'S RIGHT HERE!"

"You just had to tell the world that now, huh?" Al fumed as he clapped his hands to the ground to produce a wave of rising earth heading to the incoming guards' direction. "And correction, I'm an alchemist."

"One of the military alchemists found their way here!" Another man shouted. "Get him!"

Al clapped his hands to the ground again and toppled the armored men and some slower alchemists with his previous attack. The armors still under his control meanwhile are doing their job beating up the other armored guards.

"That kid…who the hell is he?" One of the alchemists muttered.

"Doesn't matter! He's gonna die for thinking he can take on us by himself!" The man pulled out a gun from his waist holster and fired.

Al, caught unaware, was shot at his shoulder.

"AH!" The boy stumbled, but recovered quickly enough to jump away from the next shot.

"Damn, he's fast!"

Al clapped his hands to the ground again to produce a spear and threw it to the alchemists' direction.

It effectively hit one of the alchemist's arm before lodging itself to the wall.

"What the hell—?"

Al jumped up, above the opposing alchemists, with ease as he grabbed the spear and slashed at the alchemist with the gun.

"ARGH!"

"Damn brat!" The other alchemist transmuted the metal gauntlet on his arm into a bigger gun and fired at Al.

Al had successfully avoided the attack of the first alchemist, but was gravely hit by another alchemist who made a strong, sharp gust of wind hit him on the back.

Al choked back a scream as he was sent flying through the wall and landing on his stomach in a new area.

His vision blurry, Al could barely make out the form of the rebel alchemists running to attack him.

"You're dead now, kiddo!" One of them smirked as he raised his gun to fire.

But another fire made him drop the gun.

* * *

Roy snapped his fingers threateningly at the enemy alchemists, making them jump out the way before he came to help Al up.

"Damn it, Alphonse, what the hell happened to you? Why didn't you call for help?"

"Must've…slipped my mind, General, sorry. I'm all right now though."

"You're an awful liar, you know that." Roy sighed. "Look at you! You're bleeding all over. Let's get you back up. I'll handle the rest—"

"NO!" Al insisted, standing up while ignoring the stabbing pain on his back and shoulder. "I'm a little hurt, that's all. I can still fight. I know Brother will never give up in a fight just because of minor injuries!"

…_Which is what usually drags him closer to death in the first place. _Roy continued silently.

But before Roy could come up with another reply, one of the rebel alchemists and some armored guards had jumped through the hole to attack the two alchemists.

"General!"

"Alphonse, go! I'll handle these two!"  
"But I just can't leave without you!"

"I can handle myself better right now! You need help! GO!" Roy shouted as he produced his signature flame attack against the rebels.

Al stubbornly grabbed his spear and attacked the other guards, refusing to leave the General behind. "And I said I won't leave you behind, General Roy Mustang! No matter what!"

"Hell, just how strong are these two?" The alchemist with the transmuted gun growled. "That's it, I'll handle them both with one steady blow!"

He aimed his gun at the unaware Flame Alchemist with a snide grin on his face and said. "This one's for you, military scum!"

Then he fired.

"ROY, WATCH OUT!"

Roy had barely managed to subdue the other alchemist he just defeated when he heard a loud "ROY, LOOK OUT!"

Turning around, he met the sight of a huge fireball fired at his direction.

Before he could react however, he felt a strong forced knock him out of the way and sent him down the ground.

Groggily, his mind processed that he was still alive and that he didn't take any damage from the blow or from the fireball.

But someone else did.

Frantically, he scanned around for the boy who took the blow for him. "Alphonse! ALPHONSE! AL, NO!"

* * *

Al groaned as he opened his grey eyes. He felt incredibly light, in contrast with the immense pain he had felt before blacking out.

"What the—where am I? What happened to me?"

_**You should know where you are by now, little Elric.**_

"Wait a minute! Who was that—" Al paused as he saw what was in front of him.

Color immediately drained from Al's face. How could he be here? Why was he here?

All he could remember was being with General Mustang, saving him from the blast from the rebel alchemist before blacking out. How could he awaken and see this—

"You're…you're the Gate, aren't you?"

_**Could've taken you a shorter time to figure that out, right?**_

Al felt something cold drop into his stomach. _Ah great, what does it want from me now? _

* * *

"_**Tori no you ni habatakeru nara Kimi no moto e tondeyuku deshou…  
**_"If I could flutter like a bird I would fly back to you…  
**_Soshite kizu o otta sono se ni Boku no hane o sashidasu deshou…"  
_**For your wounded back I offer my own wings…"

* * *

Lyrics are of "Moments" by Ayumi Hamasaki also the OP theme of Bluebird's Illusions, the fantastic Chinese-made fan game. I nearly cried when I heard this song!

Ok, I know you guys will probably pound me to pieces for killing Al, but don't fret. Remember, the battle happened in Central underground. And just because this is a Post series AU, that doesn't mean I'm not using the movie as my reference.

There are some things I still got from the movie and I'm still trying to sort it all out.

One way to let me know that I should continue this story is by pressing that cute little button down there that says "Submit Review". It looks nice doesn't it? Preetty preeeetty please review? I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks a lot for reading!

JD


	2. Through the Gate and Beyond

A/N: Ooook… I'm back.

Thanks so much for all the reviews I've got…I'm so touched. ;;

Well…it's look like some people are actually paying attention to my story and don't see it that bad, so I'll continue!

I'll do my best to post three chapters at most for this story. With college coming up and me rarely being home, I don't think I'll have much time to update this story. I hope you'll bear with me.

**_Disclaimer: _**If you've read the first chapter, then this disclaimer wouldn't be any different. grins

**

* * *

Dreamscape: ****Chapter II— Through the Gate and Beyond**

"**_Bokura wa itsudemo Sakenderu…_**  
"The two of us are Screaming all the time…  
_**Shinji-tsuzukeru dake ga Kotae ja nai…**_  
Just continuing to believe Isn't the answer…

**_Yowasa_** **_mo kizu mo Sarakedashite…_**  
Expose your Weaknesses and your wounds…  
**_Mogaki-tsuzukenakereba_** **_Hajimaranai…_**  
If we don't continue to struggle Nothing will begin…

**_Tsukiyabure_** **_Tobira no mukou e…"_**  
So break through Beyond the door…"

* * *

_**You don't look so pleased to see us, do you?**_

"You're the one to talk," Al muttered, glaring at the gigantic iron doors in front of him. "Why should I be happy to see the one who took my body from me?"

_**But you do know, young Elric, that we only took what is needed to satisfy your Law of Equivalent Exchange. After all, if you and your brother didn't come up with that stunt of resurrecting your precious mother, all of this wouldn't have to happen…and you'd still have your brother with you.**_

"Equivalent Exchange huh…" Al said, suppressing the anger for bringing up such a sensitive topic. "Well speaking of which, since I'm right here in front of you, I suppose that law will be put in effect again right?"

_**Impatient now, aren't we? You should relax a little more. You've just got back from the dead, you know.**_

"What do you mean by that!"

_**The only reason you're here is because you're apparently dead in your world—right after you saved the General from being shot.**_

_The General! _Al remembered, worried. "The General—Roy! Is he OK?"

_**That shouldn't concern you now, little Elric. Besides, if he isn't, what are you going to do about it?**_

"…Don't I have the right to know what had happened to my friends?" Al snapped back.

_**He's alive, little Elric. No need to worry. The General was right you know—he could've handled the situation better himself. But you just had to be stubborn and stick around until you end up like this. Not that WE'RE complaining…**_

"Really, you sound so happy to see me, it's becoming freaky." Al said. _Not that this Gate isn't freaky to begin with. _"Again, what do you want from me? Don't tell me I'll be stuck in this…nothing for all eternity!" He motioned to the vast emptiness around him.

_**Hmmm…that sounds like an idea...**_

"YOU WOULDN'T!"

…**_unfortunately, that doesn't go with the Law of Equivalent Exchange you value so much…_**

Al let out a sigh of relief at that. Being stuck anywhere is better than being stuck here.

…**_and since, technically, you already died in your world, there's nothing more I need from you. Needless to say, you're allowed to pass the Gate…_**

"You'll let me pass? That's it?" Al frowned suspiciously. That was too easy…

_**Why? Would you rather be stuck here with us, then?**_

"No wait—you said I'm allowed to pass right? Lead the way!"

Then slowly, the Gate creaked open and enveloped Al in a bright light.

_**Then again, it's not like we're going to make passing through the Gate easy for you.**_

"WHAT WAS THAT!"

But before Al could gain a reply, he was already sucked in.

_**And if you do get past us, it's not that the place you're heading to will be any easier for you to handle.**_

* * *

Al growled in irritation as he tried to get away from the black vine like beings trying to stop his progress in the vortex.

_Damned gate, always cheating on us in the last second! _Al thought as he struggled to get his arms and legs away from the beings' grasp. "Get away from me! I'm going through this gate—even if it's the last thing I do!"

But the "black things" never knew when to give up.

"ARGH!" Al tried his best to swat them away but to no avail. He felt pain on his legs and arms as the creatures scratched as much as they could.

_Man, these things are a pain! _Al grimaced. "I SAID GET LOST!"

Then he saw another bright light in front of him.

"What—not another—AH!"

"Oh, stop being such a child. It's not that it's going to hurt you. You can open your eyes now, Alphonse."

"Wh—what?" Recognition of the voice that rang in Al's ears kicked in. He looked up and gasped. "Wait—this can't be—is this another trick of the Gate or something? …or is it really you…Sensei?"

The woman before him—Izumi Curtis—smiled at the boy's shocked response. "You looked surprised."

"Surprised? I'm freaking shocked! What are you doing in the Gate?"

"Long story short, Alphonse, the Gate is actually the place where dead people go."

"What? Then that must mean…I'll be stuck here?"

"Hmmm…I don't think so. You don't look dead."

"Eh? But the Gate just said—"

"I heard. But believe me, I'll know if you really are dead, and that if you're supposed to be here." Izumi frowned thoughtfully. "I think the Gate's just toying with you, as it always does."

"But then…" Al said. "If what you said is true, then why am I going through the Gate?"

"I honestly don't know." Izumi answered. "But whatever the reason, I'm sure it'll lead to trouble, one way or another—especially with you."

"That sounds typical, coming from you Sensei." Al sighed. "But why am I here with you anyway? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"There's something I just found out by being stuck in place…something that has to do with Alchemy. I want you to pay attention. This is probably the last thing I'll be ever teaching you."

Al nodded, as Izumi continued.

"Alchemy isn't just about Equivalent Exchange, as it appears. There's something more to it. Alchemy requires something else to be performed…" Izumi paused lengthily before continuing. "And that something is the souls coming from this Gate."

"WHAT!" Al gasped. "You—you mean, all we've been doing, all that performances of Alchemy…they require a dead person's soul."  
"Correct. It is the energy of the soul that gives Alchemy the incredible power it has…in our world at least."

"I—I can't believe it…" Al stuttered, surprised at his new discovery. "You mean—all this time I've been using up souls of the dead to perform alchemy. How…how can I do such a terrible thing?"

"Oh don't be so hard on yourself, Alphonse. You never knew that, right?" Izumi said. "Anyway, that rule only applies in our world, not in the other worlds beyond this Gate."

"Wait—you mean there are other worlds?"  
"Of course there are." Izumi said. "The Gate leads to places you only think exists in dreams. And in those worlds, there is no such thing as Alchemy."

"I don't know if I should think of that as a good thing or not." Al muttered. True, the thought of using dead souls to power Alchemy sounded bad, but pretty much Alchemy was the only thing Al was good at, besides martial arts of course.

Besides, Alchemy grew to become a part of him.

And it's hard to let go a part of you, Al realized as his thoughts went back to the missing Edward.

"But I don't think you'll be able to handle yourself well without it, seeing as something big is about to come."  
"What do you mean by that, Sensei?"

"I can't tell you more, but seeing as the Gate cheated on you again, I might as well give a little help to tip the scale to your favor." Izumi dug something out of her pocket and gave a small brown sack to Al. "Don't you dare open that thing unless you're in really deep trouble, or I'll make sure I'll haunt your every waking moment!"

"But Sensei," Al said. "What on earth is in this thing?"

"It's a little something that will help you perform alchemy in the other world you're headed. Don't fret. You'll understand everything in due time."

"Oh…all right then."

"One more thing," Izumi said as she approached Al and gave him a hug. "Aru, the world you'll be heading to…it might seem the same as the world we came from, but remember that it is not. You might see familiar faces, but you won't mean anything to them, for nothing will be the same for you in the other world.

"This is all I can help you with, Aru. From this point forward, you're on your own. But if ever you begin to doubt, do not fear to look back at the beginning. Sometimes answers can be found in the most unimaginable ways possible. Do you understand?"

Al felt shocked for a moment but returned Izumi's embrace, smiling a bit as he recalled how much he missed her. But there was something about what she said that puzzled him. "Sensei, what do you mean by—"

Izumi suddenly looked behind her, paling. "Quick. You don't have much time. Jump to the light now."

"No not another—"

"ALPHONSE ELRIC!"  
"Like what I just said—Right Away!" Al amended as he sprinted to the light behind his teacher and jumped.

Izumi glanced at the fading figure of her youngest student before smiling. "Take care of yourselves there, Aru."

* * *

"Sensei!"  
Al's grey eyes snapped open and eventually refocused on his new surroundings.

"Sensei?" Al called again before he sat up and had a look around him.

He was in a white room, sitting on a small bed with his chest and left arm bandaged up. He caught sight of his clothes hanging on a chair nearby. There was no one else in the room.

"Where—where am I?" Al muttered. "Is this—is this place beyond the gate? Is this where I'm supposed to be—right after meeting Sensei…?"

Then a light bulb flashed in Al's head.

"Wait, that's right. If I had seen Sensei, then that must mean I have it—"

Al searched his pocket for the parting gift Izumi gave to him at the Gate. True enough, the brown sack was still there.

"Sensei…I wish I can understand what you just taught me as well as you expect. But there are still a lot of things I need to ask from you."

His room door suddenly creaked open, making Al jump.

"Oops. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to frighten you."  
Al turned around to see a young woman in a white uniform. She had light brown hair and kind green eyes.

"It's all right." Al smiled politely. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Oh, you're so cute, little boy." Al blushed at that comment, especially at the "little boy" part. "I'm here to check on you. You had a pretty bad gash there on your chest and shoulder. You were out for three days."

"Really?" Al mused. "I didn't know I was out for that long. By the way…can you tell me where I am and what date it is today?"

"Hmm…let me see…" The nurse thought for a moment then answered. "Ah, I remember now! Today is June 3, 1924. Right now, you're in Clifford Hospital, Munich."

"Munich?" Al echoed, shock evident on his face. "Where on earth is that?"

"Right here, boy." The nurse giggled. "Right here in Germany."

_Munich? Germany? And the year now is 1924!_ Al felt numb as he let the new information sink in. _In which world exactly did that Gate take me anyway?_

_The least it could do is bring me to the world where my brother is right now!_

* * *

Short, I know…

The second chapter is done. I know I uploaded it too soon…but I won't be around for a long time. So, well, that's all.

The lyrics for this chapter is from "Tobira no Muko e" by YELLOW GENERATION (AKA the second ending theme of FMA). I like this song. It's my favorite among the ED themes. And it suits Al's journey in this chapter beyond the Gate. Hehe.

I hope this chapter isn't too bad. Please review my story. I'll really like that! Pleease! ;;

Comments, suggestions, anything…please let me know so that I can improve my story!

So long, fellow FMA fans! ()


	3. First Dream

Yehey!

I'm so happy! I'm glad I have some reviewers! And I have many hits too! I guess I am continuing!So far, this may be the last chapter I'll be adding in a while. I'm off to college! Hooray for me!Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. I'm still working on the other chapter's ideas. Thanks for all your support!

I dedicate this chapter to all my reviewers and readers…especially to** theCatandtheCow**!  
Hope you guys like it:D

* * *

**Dreamscape—  
****Chapter III: First Dream**

"_**Ikutsu namida wo nagashitara…  
**_If there were many tears falling down,  
_**Every Heart sunao ni nareru darou…  
**_Every heart would become gentle.

"_**Dare ni omoi wo tsutaetara…  
**_If everybody expresses what they think,  
_**Every Heart kokoro mitasareru no darou…"  
**_Every heart can be satisfied.  


* * *

To say Al was annoyed was an understatement.

Because he was new in this world, and he had no idea what to do next, he had to feign amnesia in order not to look stupid. But that was the least of his troubles.

The people in the Hospital were now debating on whether they should broadcast that they have an ailing amnesia patient (who cannot pay them for their services, by the way) in their facility to the public.

Al had to bite back the frustrated growl because they were searching for the identity of a person that never existed in this world.

He finally requested to "find his identity" by himself instead—and pay off whatever debt he had (but since it is a government funded hospital, he didn't really have to. Al, though, did not know that. ).

So while he was at the hospital, he began the arduous process of "re-learning" everything in the world—from the current political and economical situation of the country up to the frustrating language Al learned was officially called "German".

All in all, the stress of all this new information was…head-spinning.

"No, head-bursting—that's the term." Al muttered to himself as he read on some books he had borrowed from a local library nearby. "This world is so different from where I came from. So many new things and problems are present here…yet the sources from these problems aren't different from the sources of the problems back in Armestis."

He then fingered the brown sack his Sensei had given him on the way out of the Gate.

"Sensei…I really wish you were here to help me understand the meaning of your words. This new world is so…strange. I feel like an outsider (then again, I am one) and so alone."

Al took his newly bought Journal from the bedside table and flipped it to the back page where he had written his Sensei's last words to him at the Gate.

_**The world you'll be heading to…it might seem the same as the world we came from, but remember that it is not. You might see familiar faces, but you won't mean anything to them, for nothing will be the same for you in the other world…**_

_**But if ever you begin to doubt, do not fear to look back at the beginning. Sometimes answers can be found in the most unimaginable ways possible… **_

"Not the same for me huh…" Al sighed. "I think I already know that part."

* * *

Al walked around the crowded street of early morning Munich, preparing himself for another day of adventure. 

It was a lot more crowded than he bargained for before he went out, but it was cold enough to compensate for the heat of the crowd anyway.

Al's agenda for the day is to go out and find a job. Somewhere, anywhere—as long as he can get decent pay, it's fine with him.

_Considering that Alchemy was the only thing I was good at._ Al thought numbly.

He sat down nearby a huge fountain at the center of the plaza for a rest. _Man, looking for a job was harder than I thought. _

Al sighed as he ate a piece of cake he had brought from the hospital on his way out. _I hope I'll be able to manage to find work despite my "amnesia" status here. I won't be able to do much without money in this place. _

While resting, however, Al recalled something. _Hey, isn't it a belief that if you throw a coin in a fountain or well, you can make a wish come true?_

Superstitions weren't supposed to be entertained even by the most inexperienced of Alchemists.

But right now, he is not an Alchemist—at least, not in this world.

_So why not give it a shot? _Al smiled as he took a coin out of his pocket. _Now what do I wish for…?_

..To find a job and to be able to survive in this world…?

…To be able to go back to Armestis …?

…To be able to return to Alchemy…?

…Or…?

Ha, the question didn't even need second thoughts.

With that, he held the coin close to his chest for a short while before flipping it to the fountain.

It made a small splashing noise. Al smiled happily once more before going on his way.

_I wish Niisan and I can be together again.

* * *

_

"**_Nagai nagai_ (1)_ yoru ni Obieteita  
_**"I was frightened by The neverending night,  
_**Tooi hoshi ni Inotteta..".  
**_So I prayed to The distant stars…"

* * *

/_ Al groaned lightly before looking around him. He was inside a small, dusty room, lying down a small bed._

'_I'm not in the Hotel room?' Al suddenly realized as he looked around him._

"_Where am I?" Al said as he tried getting up, then he saw it._

_There was someone else at the other end of the room, sleeping on a bed the same size as his._

'_He looks asleep. Great going, Al— planning to wake up the whole house now aren't you?' Al thought._

_As if on cue, that someone muttered hoarsely. "Keep it down, will you? I'm trying to sleep here."_

"_I—I'm sorry." Al said, sitting on the edge of his bed._

_The man grunted. "I'm sorry too. Didn't mean to sound mad. I really just had a bad day."_

_Al felt worse. "Are you feeling unwell? Do you need something?"_

"_No. I'm fine. Just get back to sleep."_

_Al got up from the bed and went closer to the man's bed to get a better view of him._

_The man had his back on him, but his long, unkempt hair was sprawled across his pillow well enough for Al to see, even in the dim moonlight. _

"_But you look really bad." Al said, finding himself fingering the soft strands. "And sound like it too. Maybe—" _

_Al took a deep breath. "Maybe you'd want to talk about it?"  
_

"_I said I'm fine. Leave me alone."_

_Al sighed involuntarily at the stubbornness of the man…like he was already used to it. "All right then. If you say so."_

_But when Al turned away to head back to his own bed, the man croaked. "Wait."_

"_Yes?"_

_The man coughed a bit before speaking. "I…I'm really sorry. I just need a good night's rest. Sorry for making you worry."_

_Al's face softened. "It's all right. I don't mind at all. Now go to sleep. We'll talk about it tomorrow then, OK?"_

_A soft chuckle was heard. "You can be unbearably nice sometimes…"  
_

_Al grinned at that too, then the man added. "…just like my little brother."_

_At that, Al froze. 'Get a grip, Alphonse— don't let it get to you! You're not the only little brother in the world, and he's not the only one who's got one! He can't possibly be—'_

_The man obviously did not notice the discomfort in the boy and continued to sob. "Oh God, I miss you so much…Aru…"_

"…_Niisan?" _/

* * *

"NIISAN!" 

Al nearly jumped off the bed, trying to reach out for his Niisan who was apparently gone away with his dream.

It was early in the morning, and the clock beside him read 4:30.

But Al couldn't care any less.

"Niisan…was it really…?"

He already had these kinds of dreams before—dreams of him seeing Ed in a strange world, wearing strange clothes and talking about strange things. He usually dreamt of Ed talking with someone else, or doing something concerning those strange "rockets".

But never ever had he dreamt of him actually having a conversation with Ed.

And to think that those dreams stopped a few weeks ago before the incident in which he found his way in this world.

"What could that mean…?" Al mumbled. "I dreamed of niisan…here, in this world. And in that dream, he actually talked to me…"

Then the feeling of loneliness, the feeling of homesickness came to him again.

It was always there, whether he was here in this world or in Armestis…after all, for him, home wasn't here if his brother wasn't there.

"Niisan…niisan…" Al felt tears sting his eyes as he remembered the final moment in his dream…those words said with much despair and longing.

"…_Oh God, I miss you so much…Aru…"_

"Niisan…you said you missed me…" Al whispered. "But, do you know…I miss you too…? Niisan…niisan!"

Al, after several years of keeping strong emotions held back, broke down. "I wish you were here, Niisan. I really wish you were. That way, neither of us will be lonely anymore…"

* * *

Al sighed as he washed his face on the sink. 

He knew he was already running out of time to find work. The money he managed to get out of selling some items on him did some good, but it was slowly running out. If he ran out of money before he had a job, he wouldn't know what to sell off anymore.

His pocket watch and gloves were definitely out of the question, though.

Then, the phone in his hotel room rang.

Al jumped in surprise, but got over it quickly enough to pick up the phone. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Herr Alphonse." A long, drawly voice said through the line.

Al frowned. "Yes, good morning. May I ask who this is?"

"I am Herr von Wyght. I believe you were looking for work in a 'Marquis Inc.' company—sounds familiar to you?"

"Er…yes. How do you know, sir?"

"My boy, the manager of that company happens to be a good friend of mine. When I brought up the topic of the abundance of able workers out there in our lovely Munich, he started talking about you. Said you were a fine fellow looking for a job in his mere company. When he started describing you to me, I was shocked. How could such an intelligent young man like you wish to settle down with making mere nuts and bolts?"

_Nuts and bolts…_ Al smiled a bit. _Kinda makes me think of Winry…_

"So anyway," the man continued. "I told him that 'My dear friend, wouldn't such a young, smart boy be a waste? Why don't you let him come with me? I'm sure I'll be able to find him work in my office.' He said he would agree if you would. Don't you worry, Herr Alphonse, it won't be a waste. You'll find this job very interesting and there will be a lot of gentlemen as capable as you are who can help you in this field I'm planning on letting you join. So what do you say?"

_A job? I'm actually getting a job!_ Al thought excitedly. "Why, of course, Herr von Wyght. I'd appreciate it. Thank you so much, sir."

"Well, that' good! I'll just inform my friend right away and you can get started. Are you free for lunch?"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

"Good, good. Why don't you stop over at my office? Then we can talk properly."

"But where am I supposed to meet you, sir?"

The man chuckled. "I'll give you the address, to be sure. But you do know where the University of Munich is, right?"

_The University of Munich…

* * *

_

"**_Meguru meguru_ (2)_Toki no naka de…  
_**"In this endlessly repeating Time…  
_**Bokutachi wa ai wo Sagashiteiru…  
**_"We were searching For love…"

"**_Tsuyoku tsuyoku _(3)_Naritai kara…  
_**"Because we wanted to Become stronger…  
_**Kyou mo takai sora Mmiageteiru..."  
**_"We look up to the Faraway sky…"

OK. I'm done.

This is the last chapter I'll be adding for a looong time. Like what I said earlier.

Hope you like this. I enjoyed writing it. I know it's not that emotional or anything. It's just not the chapter to be so yet. It's just the third, for crying out loud!

The song "Every Heart" is the ED theme of Inuyasha, sung by BoA Her voice sounds so cute!. I just thought that it was nice for this chapter.

Notes: **(1**),(**2**),(**3)**,Notice that the words there were used twice? It's not intended to be read literally.

Rather, it gives off a different meaning than using the word only once.

For example, the word 'tsuyoku' literally means 'strong'. Using it twice interprets 'twice as strong' therefore means 'to be stronger'.

**Disclaimer: The lyrics I have been using so far weren't translated by me. They came from and therefore, they are from their translators. I just added the notes as an afterthought.

* * *

**


	4. Through Jaded Eyes

A/N: Uh…Hi?

Hello fellow FMA fans! And my beloved readers and reviewers as well!

OK, I know I said this is an Al-centric story…but that doesn't mean I won't spare some chapters for us to see just how Ed is doing. And besides, there are some Ed fans among you readers, right?

And I know I said I'll only post up to three chapters. But you guys are soooo nice to me…your reviews were really touching.

This is my way of saying **THANK YOU SO SO VERY MUCH, DEAR READERS/REVIEWERS.**

I'll miss writing fanfics while in college. Hopefully I will be able to update this soon so that you guys won't get bored with this. Heheh. Cheerios. Thanks so much!

To **all those who added this story to their story alerts and to their favorite stories, as well to all Ed fans**, this chapter is for you!

**DISCLAIMER: **FMA is not mine. The song used, and the translation is not mine too. 'Nuff said.

PS: (If you want a copy of the full translated song, you can always let me know. But if you will, please note—it's for personal use only! )

**

* * *

DREAMSCAPE**

**CHAPTER IV—THROUGH JADED EYES**

"**_Prosti menya, mladshiy brat…!_**  
"Forgive me, younger brother…  
**_Ya tak pred toboy vinovat…  
_**I am to be blamed…  
**_"_****_Pyitatsya vernut' nyelzya…_**  
"It is impossible to return…  
**_Togo, chto vzyala zyemlya…" _(1)_  
_**that, which has been taken by earth…"

**_"Kto znayet zakon Byitiya…  
_**"One that knows the law…  
**_Pomog byi mne nayti otvet…  
_**Would help me find the answer…  
"**_Zhestoko oshibsya ya…_**  
"I made a terrible mistake…  
**_Ot smerti lekarstva nyet…"_**  
There is no cure for death…"

_**

* * *

Munich, Germany**_

**_June 1, 1924_**

"Edward, this is the fifth time I've called you! If you don't get up soon, you'll be late!"

"Hmmm—Five more—"

"—And no more extensions! You've given me that 'five more minutes' nonsense of yours for the past half hour!"

Edward Elric felt like throwing the alarm clock at his so-called father's face. "All right already, oyajii! I'll be going down, so stop being such a pain!"

It took a lot of effort, but Ed finally managed to sit up from his bed and yawned loudly. This was murder, he had thought. It's only six in the morning.

But still, as this world's old time phrase always said, _beggars can't be choosers._

_Considering this blasted place's economy, that statement really fits well. _Ed thought bitterly. It was getting harder to earn money nowadays. Even with the old man's job, the pay nearly didn't cover even just the food bills.

And it was just as hard to get a job as to gain money.

Getting out of the bathroom after a quick bath, he grabbed some pants and a shirt from the closet.

As he began to put on his shirt, he then caught sight of his prosthetic arm. A bitter smile crossed his face as he recalled the world he had left behind. _Sigh…the prosthetics of this world is nothing compared to the wonders of Winry's automail. I'll bet she'll throw a fit the minute she sees my arm and leg like this. I wonder how she and Aunt Pinako are doing now…_

A bitter, hollow feeling always crawled up inside him whenever he starts thinking about Armestis. Despite the hardships, the mistakes and the awful memories brought about by the said place, Armestis was still the only place where he felt he belonged. It was in Armestis that he had a (real) livelihood, a home to live in and people who he loved and who loved him.

Thinking about Armestis made him realize of how much he missed his friends in the military—particularly the "bad asshole with THE God complex" Roy Mustang (though Ed felt better off not admitting that).

Thinking about Armestis made him think of how he longed to be back at Risembool, spending time with old Aunt Pinako, with Winry (and her patented wrenches), and of course, with Den.

But most importantly (and most painfully), thinking about Armestis always made him remember…just how much he missed his little brother.

Alphonse…

The mere name brought so many questions in his head.

Was he all right? Was his body properly restored? Was he living in Risembool with the Rockbells? Was he living the life Ed hoped for his little brother?

And…was Al missing him…?

—no, that last question doesn't matter…as long as Al was OK and physically complete.

_Aru…_ Ed thought as he buttoned up his black top. _Aru, I wonder…how are you right now? Are you running around Risembool, having fun with Winry? Playing with Den? Listening to Aunt Pinako? Being happy? I hope you are. There's nothing else I'd rather have you do. _

_That's right, Aru…you deserve to be happy. After all your baka niisan has put you through, you deserve to have a carefree life. You're better off without me anyway…_

Forcing the lonely feeling back, Ed went downstairs to join his father for breakfast.

* * *

Ed arranged the messy papers on his desk as he began his work for the day.

Working in the research facility has always been tiring and full of paperwork. Now Ed knew how Roy must have felt, upon seeing the stack of papers that seemed to be threatening him to "get on with it!"

Ed was barely done clearing his desk when he heard a knock on his door.

"Sorry. I'm busy. Some other time."  
But the knocking is just as stubborn as Ed.

After the fifth knock, Ed finally let out an exasperated "Fine, come in already!"

The knocking ceased and the door opened.

Enter a seemingly older man with light brown hair and calculating blue eyes

"Good morning, Mr. Edward Elric."

"And you are?"

The man obviously disregarded the disrespect in Ed's tone. "Mr. Leonel, from the Thule Society, sir. Surely you must know me. I gave you some calls last week—"

…_now I know him. It's that annoying guy who keeps calling me about that—_

"—and they're calls concerning a certain position our Society is offering you."

Ed sighed leisurely before fixing a blank stare at the man. "Listen, Mr. Leonel, I think I already made my choice clear during those last six calls from you."

Mr. Leonel gave him a rather disappointed stare. "You still refuse, Mr. Elric?"

"First of all, let me make this straight, Mr. Leonel—I have no intention in participating in the activities my old man once headed in your organization.

Second, currently I am doing my own research regarding rocketry in this office. I'm certainly not leaving my work here unfinished. Lastly, as I have stressed so hard over the phone, I am not interested in your plans about the so-called 'world of Shambala'."

"You are missing a discovery of a lifetime, Mr. Elric." Mr. Leonel pressed. "We have recently discovered proof of Shambala's existence!"

Ed's raised an eyebrow. "Proof, you say?"

Mr. Leonel smiled a creepy smile. "Yes. Recently, we were able to extract enough information from our research team to be able to produce this…"

Mr. Leonel handed Ed a small scrap of paper.

Ed's eyes went from surprisingly wide to dangerously narrow.

It was an alchemic array…a transmutation circle.

"And what, do you suppose, is this?" Ed feigned unawareness, despite the turmoil inside his head. _What's all this about? How did they manage to come up with this transmutation circle? Where did they find out all this from? _

"We were able to find out that the symbol there in the paper is called a transmutation circle. I believe it is an important part in the mystical Art of Alchemy."

_They know that much already? _Ed's mind raced as he tried to remain calm. "Sorry, but all I can see here are a bunch of circles and lines in odd places. Unless I find something more solid than this, I'm definitely not joining your fancy little group. So if you don't mind, I have more work to do."

"I understand, Mr. Elric." Mr. Leonel sighed. "Well, if you'll excuse me."

The man bowed one last time before exiting the office, leaving a very disturbed Edward glaring at the door.

* * *

Ed had an uneasy lunch before getting back on his work. But the diagrams of rocket designs and plans didn't take his mind out of its uneasy state either.

He still can't take his mind off the transmutation circle he had seen earlier.

It looked like the transmutation circle back in Lior.

"Damn," Ed muttered, his mind now very far away from rockets. "If they were able to come up with the transmutation circle and said it was connected to the world of Shambala—it can't mean that Shambala is Armestis, can it?"

No matter how hard Ed wanted to believe that it wasn't so…

His suspicions were apparently true.

The "Shambala" the Thule Society were referring to was his homeworld.

"If Shambala is Armestis, then what would they want from it?" Ed said, drumming his fingers on the table. "I can't believe oyajii would tie himself up with an organization like that. Maybe I should've accepted that offer after all. Then I can figure out what they want from Armestis and somehow put a stop to it."

Despite the calling of finally being able to go home and see his beloved world seemed irresistible to the weary Ed, he won't let the temptation get to him.

The Society of Thule must never ever be allowed to step on the soil of Shambala.

**_

* * *

June 4, 1924_**

Edward took a day off and headed out to his father's office.

His father, Hoheheim Elric, worked as a professor in a prestigious school a few blocks away from his own office district. Around this time was supposedly his lunch break. Now is probably the best time for them to have a little talk.

_And no, it is absolutely NOT a father-son bonding thing. _Ed added bitterly in his mind. _If oyajii is a part of that organization, then he is the easiest and (annoyingly) the most reliable source of information I have of their plans. I know chances are not so high, but oyajii's the only person I've got so far._

Hohenheim looked up uneasily at his older son as he sat down and fixed them some tea. "So, what brings you to my office, Ed?"

Edward looked pensive for a moment before taking on his regular glare. "What do you know about the Society of Thule?"

"That's a surprise, coming from you—"

"Just answer the damn question!"

"All right, no need to get angry." Hohenheim said. "I haven't been part of it long, but I have been there long enough to know that it mainly deals with supernatural ideas—particularly about their theories of an alternate world—"

"—Shambala." Ed finished, looking grim. "Oyajii, this Shambala they're referring to—I have feeling, it's our world, Armestis."

Hohemheim apparently did not look surprised. "What made you think so?"

"A man from their group—a Mr. Leonel—dropped by my office about the offer he was talking about over the phone for the past week. He said something about proof of Shambala's existence, and then he showed me a transmutation circle. It wasn't complete yet, but it is definitely one."

"I see…" Hohenheim looked grim. "So the rumors around the Society are true after all…"

"Rumors? What rumors?"

"You see…late last night, there were certain event that went about a certain guarded building within the Society's compound."  
"What happened?"

"Some of my friends in the group told me that the building suddenly glowed in the middle of the night and the guards stationed there saw a big _door_ opening in this room with, seemingly, a transmutation circle. The guards then saw something fall out of the door, but it vanished as soon as it landed."

"Door?" Ed looked horrified. "Oyajii, it can't be…"

"It is, I'm afraid, the Gate."

"The Gate! You mean, someone has managed to open the Gate…here in Germany!"

"There's more. About that thing that came from the Gate—it didn't stay very long after the Gate threw it out. But it did stay long enough for the nearest guards to realize…that that something from the Gate…was _human_."

Ed held a battered breath. "You mean to say—someone has managed to open the Gate—"

"—and go right through it to our world." Hohenheim finished gravely. "And to make things worse, the Society is now on alert to look for that person from the Gate.—because they believe that the person was from the other side of the Gate, which they call…"

"…Shambala…" _Armestis…_

* * *

Ed sat numbly on his bed, still drained after his talk with his father that afternoon.

"I—I can't believe it." Ed mumbled. "Someone has actually managed to open the Gate to this world…and has gone through it! Now that person is being hunted because it possibly came from Shambala…from my world."

_Of course it should come from Armestis. _Ed's mind chided. _It would take an alchemist to open the Gate, right? And the only world we know of that has a steady supply of alchemists is Armestis._

If that were the case, then there would probably be another alchemist in Germany right now.

But he shouldn't get his hopes up.

_Who knows? There might be other places within the Gate that can lead to other Alchemists. I'm not sure of that, am I?_

Edward sighed tiredly before lying donw the bed. _Argh! I'm tired. I guess I'll just have to think about this tomorrow._

He finally shut his eyes and let himself drift to sleep, trying his best not to entertain the hope that a fellow alchemist could be stuck here in Munich…

…And even more so trying to ignore that tiny whisper of logic that that alchemist could probably be Al.

_**

* * *

June 7, 1924**_

Edward paid the cab driver before getting off his stop and walking off to his destination—the Munich Memorial Park.

He walked slowly to the gravestone he was searching for, with a bouquet of flowers in his prosthetic hand.

He finally paused at the lone gravestone underneath a huge tree.

ALFONS HEIDERICH

_Died June 3, 1921_

_A loyal friend, brother and son_

_You shall not be forgotten_

"Hey Alfons." Ed muttered as he placed the flowers on the gravestone. "Nice weather today, isn't it? Sorry I couldn't drop by any sooner, old friend. I have been…busy."

Alfons was the first, and probably the last, close friend he had ever made in Munich.

To Ed, Alfons was like redemption, yet at the same time a cross for him to bear—for not only did Alfons look like his own Alphonse, he also behaved and spoke like Ed's little brother.

Even up to the way they both showed their concern for Ed.

So much alike were the two that it often caused him so much pain—either out of the desperate wishing that it was his beloved brother right beside him at that very moment, or out of the suppression of the said wishing.

Honestly, Ed never knew which hurt more.

But whether the world's own version of his brother or not, the fact remained that Alfons was still a very dear friend to Ed. He was the first person to introduce the science of rocketry to Ed, who became quickly interested in it. Alfons was also the one who often helped Ed out of tight situation and had allowed Ed a share inside Alfon's flat.

It was too bad that Alfon's long term illness finally got to him before Ed got to know him more.

His death had brought tears to Ed's eyes in more ways than one.

Upon seeing Alfon's dead body in the funeral, Ed had burst to tears and tore out of the room, ignoring the shocked and disapproving stares from the guests, and the calls from his father.

For even in death…he looked so much like Al. And it brought so much inconsolable grief to the older Elric brother—as well as the thought that it may have been his Alphonse lying there in the coffin, lifeless and cold.

"Alfons, I've had a lot of problems lately. I'm really confused. This country's economy going down faster than a gold coin, and there are rumors of a war starting.

But I'm glad you don't have to be here to go through all this. Who knows? Maybe that war will come. Don't worry about me though. I'll manage." Ed said as he stood up. "Goodbye, then, Alfons. I hope you're in peace."

With that, Ed left the cemetery as his weary day came to an end.

* * *

/Ed lay down his bed, worn and tired. He was having a good sleep where in he had dreams of him and Alfons building their rocket together when a noise came up from behind him.

'It must be Alfons,' Ed mused sleepily. He was making such a fuss that it was already getting disturbing.

"Keep it down, will you? I'm trying to sleep here!" Ed finally said groggily.

Apparently, that quieted him down. "I—I'm sorry." Alfons said in a voice too soft for Ed's liking.

_Ah good going Ed. _"I'm sorry too. Didn't mean to sound mad. I really just had a bad day."

"Are you feeling unwell? Do you need something?"

Alfon's concerned voice rang in the room again, making Ed a little uneasy. "No. I'm fine. Just get back to sleep."

He heard Alfons get up from the bed and walk towards him, but Ed was too lazy to face his friend.

Then he felt Alfon's hand stroke his long hair…followed by the same soft, concerned voice.

"But you look really bad. And sound like it too. Maybe—" …a sharp intake of breath, then… "—maybe you'd want to talk about it?"

The concern in Alfon's voice was getting to him again. Added to the unusual softness of the tone, Ed's head and heart were getting a major stress attack. _Good Lord, stop sounding like Aru already! As if I don't miss him enough already! Stop it! _"I said I'm fine. Leave me alone."

Ok…that went out a little too harshly.

There was silence in the air for a while, before Alfons stood up. "All right then. If you say so."

And as Ed heard Alfons walk away, a pang of guilt went through him. Alfons was only being worried. It was Ed's fault Alfons was worried in the first place.

"Wait."

Alfons' foot falls stopped at that.

Ed coughed before continuing. "I…I'm really sorry. I just need a good night's rest. Sorry for making you worry."

He could hear a slight chuckle from Alfons before the younger man's reply. "It's all right. I don't mind at all. Now go to sleep. We'll talk about it tomorrow then, OK?"

The uncharacteristically soft and gentle tone made him shiver as the pain and longing for his real brother began to surface even more. He let out a dry laugh. "You can be unbearably nice, you know…"

And before he could stop himself, he added. "…just like my little brother…"

The silence in the air was thick, but Ed was so deep in his pain that he didn't take notice. "Oh God…I miss you so much…Aru…"

He knew that Alfons didn't like it when he was being compared to Ed's little brother, but this time, Ed can't help it.

Alfons sure might act a lot like Alphonse, but tonight, he was so oddly kind and gentle that Ed wanted to believe it was Al.

_But he isn't! _Ed tired to reason with himself. _It's not that he'll suddenly turn around and call you—_

"…Niisan?"

—_Niisan—! _Ed froze, suddenly fully awake.

Then everything suddenly became clear in a flash as a feeling of half dread, half joy spilled through his entire being.

_That can't be Alfons— he's dead…and I just visited him in the cemetery earlier. Then—who could—?_

Ed got up and turned around to meet "Alfons"…and then the feeling inside him turned into pure shock.

"A…Aru…?"/

* * *

"ARU!"

Ed's eyes snapped open as he awakened inside his room…alone.

"Aru…how…how can it be…?" Ed mumbled, his body nearly shaking to bits.

He may have had a lot of weird dreams before, but this one had him trembling to the core. He had never dreamed of Alphonse in this world before—especially not with Alphonse in his human body.

But this first dream about Al…it was Al in the flesh, as well as disturbingly young.

In the dream he couldn't make out much, but he could see the thin frame bathed in the dim moonlight. Al had long hair spreading over his shoulders, and familiar grey eyes wide with shock and glimmering with hope.

It looked so real that Ed just wanted to jump and embrace the boy like he would never let go.

But the dream had ended before he could even react.

Ah, the nuisances of dreams…

Now that he had such a vision, Ed's desire to be with his brother again grew even stronger.

But the fact that there was nothing he could do about it yet also came up, and it was a stab through the heart for the former Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Aru…oh Aru, was that really you?" Ed sobbed. "Is that how you look like now in Armestis…? Damn you God, why are you doing this to me! Why let me see what my brother could've become, only to take him from me before I could fully know…before I could…"

"…_Niisan…?"_

An anguished, emotion-filled cry came out. "Aru…Aru! Goddamnit, give him back! Give my brother back to me!"

Ed wrapped his arms around himself, curled up into a shaking ball on his bed and cried all night.

And down the next several blocks from his and Hohenheim's flat, in a small rundown hotel, a young Alphonse turned around in his sleep, his own tears sliding down his face. "Niisan…"

* * *

"**_Milaya mama! Nyezhnaya…  
_**"Dear Mother! So Soft… **(2)**  
**_Myi tak lyubili tebya…  
_**We loved you so much…  
**_"_****_No vse nashi silyi…_**  
"But all our powers…  
**_Potrachenyi byili zrya… "  
_**Were spent in vain…"

**_"Tebya soblaznil ya  
_**"I intrigued you…  
**_"P_****_rekrasnoy nadezhdoy…  
_**With the perfect hope…  
"**_Vernut' nash semeynyiy ochag…  
_**"To return our family…  
_**Moy brat, ya vo vsem vinovat…"  
**_My brother, the blame is all mine…"  


OK, you guys should know this song!

I see it in some of the FMA fanfics I read.

It's the song "Brat'ja" from the FMA soundtrack…I forgot the singers, but I do know they're Russian. This is the Russian and the original version of the song. I love this song so much! I fell in love with it the first time I heard it.

Whew! This was definitely a long chapter! There. I hope this makes up for me not being able to update. Once again, reviews will be highly appreciated. Thanks so mucha gain for all your reviews.

Again this is a thank you chapter for all my reviewers. I hope you enjoyed!

Notes:

**(1)** This means "that which is dead". For more info, read the first few chapters of the Book of Genesis (Yes, I meant the Bible.)

**(2)** The word "soft" here means "loving, gentle"—like the one in the English version.

* * *


	5. The First Step

Yay! I LIIIIIIIVE!

:D

So sorry for the long delay. I had school to think of, and I don't have enough money to pay for a whole day internet café marathon.

But thank God for school breaks!

Now that finals are over, I can focus on my fanfics again. Whopee for me! Whopee for all fanfic lovers! Whopee for you all!

Before I begin, I'd like to thank **all of my readers and reviewers who I always look upon as my source of inspiration and hope**. Without you, this story will cease to exist. And for that you guys have my heartfelt gratitude, as well as the promise that I will finish this story.

Though I won't guarantee a quick, daily basis update sort of finish, I do promise I will not leave it hanging. For in my opinion (as well as other writers/reviewers out there)—there's nothing worse than an unfinished story. Ne? NE!

I dedicate this chapter to my friend in college who has supported me all the way through the difficult subjects and the stressful exams, as well as for my big sis who I wish all the best even though we're meridians apart.

And also, I'd like to thank the following reviewers who stuck with my story all the way: theCatandtheCow, CrystalMind, Me And My God Complex, Walk-the-Night-With-Me and TS!

Thanks major bunch you guys! This chappie is again for all of my reviewers too—special mention those guys above. Joy!

**

* * *

DREAMSCAPE**

**CHAPTER V— THE FIRST STEP**

"_**Namida de nijinda kono sora wo miageru tabi  
**_"Every time I look up into the tear-filled sky,  
_**Hakanai aosa ga mune wo shimedzuketeku"  
**_A fickle wave of blue binds my chest…"  


"_**Sadame nara, kanashimi no hate made  
**_"If it's destiny, I will leave behind the days  
_**Tatakaitsudzuketa hibi wo ato ni…"  
**_That I've fought till the end of sorrow…"

* * *

Alphonse walked briskly along the path leading away from the heart of the city as he followed the directions scrawled on the paper.

_Turn right at the next block then past three more and turn left…nearly there. _Al thought encouragingly. He had only been walking for quarter an hour starting from the hotel, yet he felt like he had been walking for ages already. Hardly able to keep the excitement at the thought of finally being able to find work in a place like this, Al wished his destination will turn up sooner.

_I wonder what job will that Herr von Wyght has in store for me. _Al thought. _He did mention I was going to find it interesting. I wonder what Herr Marquis had said about me when they met._

After a few more minutes, the building on the address—the University of Munich—came into view.

Al held back a gasp.

The compound was a neatly clustered set of wide buildings, with three particular towers that dwarfed everything else around it. All the wide buildings were flat-roofed and were painted pale brown. The towers were painted the same style, except for the green domed roofs. And around the compound was a whitewash-colored brick wall, which blocked the university from the world.

The only way in was the black iron gates that was guarded by two menacingly huge figures.

_Might as well get on with it. _Al thought as he approached the guards carefully.

One of them grunted at the sight of the small thirteen year old. "Whaddaya want, kid? This ain't the place fer ye."

_How impolite! _Al thought grumpily but decided to keep his cool. "I'm here to look for a Herr von Wyght. I'm supposed to meet him."

The guard laughed. "What would Herr von Wyght want with a shortstop like you?"

_Niisan would've sent this man flying to the heavens at that comment. _

Thankfully, Al was not his brother. "We have something to discuss about."

"And that would be about?"

_That's it! He's getting on my nerves. _"With all due respect, mister, it's none of your darn business."

"Stop pestering the lad already, idiot." The other guard spoke up, much to Al's relief. "Let's just give the old man a ring and ask if he's expecting…"

"Alphonse." Al said. "Herr Alphonse."

"Right."

So Al stood next to the one he had deemed as "the nicer guard" for a few minutes before the first guard had reappeared from the guard house.

"Herr von Wyght's waitin' at the Main building. The big one next to the fountain. Now get yerself outta here. Come on, we ain't got all day!"

The second guard smiled apologetically at Al. Al smiled a bit back.

"Of course. Good noon."

Al settled down on the soft sofa in the Main Building. The receptionist told him to wait for Herr von Wyght there as the man had prior business to attend to.

Al fingered his pocket watch absently as he waited, his excitement hardly bubbling down. _At last I'll be meeting this Herr von Wyght. I've always been wondering who he is. He looks like an important person in this place. I wonder what his work is…_

"Herr Alphonse!"

Alphonse's head turned around to see a man approaching him.

True enough, he looked old. His face was long and aging, with some silver patches showing up on his mahogany hair. He had a pair of wide-rimmed glasses perched on his small nose, covering the steel grey eyes underneath. He was dressed in a neat suit complete with a checkered tie and had a briefcase and some books stuffed under his arm. He gave Al a friendly smile.

"Glad you could make it, Herr Alphonse. So sorry for the long wait. Had an extended discussion with some of the board members. Really took my time."

"Not a problem, sir." Al said respectfully as the pair shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you Herr von Wyght."

"And you, I." von Wyght nodded. "You look awfully young though. Remind me how old you are again."

"I am sixteen sir, appearances aside."

"Ah yes. So anyway, let's have lunch shall we?" Herr von Wyght smiled. "And by the way, just call me Herr Ramon. Honestly, I'm growing very tired of hearing my last name for the past twenty years."

* * *

Al and Ramon von Wyght had lunch in the University canteen. Ramon had insisted on treating the boy out, much to Al's embarrassment.

The boy took a bite of his steak, swallowing uneasily. "So what was it you wished to talk about, Herr Ramon?"

"Oh, that's right, about your work. Well Herr Alphonse, there is this offer I'm truly hoping you'll accept. You see," The older man took a drink before continuing. "In this University, we do more than just educating our students. We also let them engage on activities of their field that will enhance their abilities, as well as earn some extra money. One such activity is under my supervision—a special project sponsored by the University, and I have already selected what I think are the most capable students for the field. Unfortunately, one of them has…passed away before our project can reach to completion."

"I am truly sorry sir."

"It's all right. That student of mine held such promise. Poor thing, died before he can reach his fullest potential. But he has done so much for this project that I don't think that his time with us was a waste."

A pause settled on their table before the older man continued. "Anyways, Herr Alphonse, this is where you come in. I have heard a lot about your from my good friend Johanne Marquis. He had said that you know a little Chemistry know-hows, correct?"

_Chemistry? _Al thought for a while then remembered. _Oh yeah, one of the components of Alchemy for this world!_

"Er, yes, sir."

"Good. If you don't mind, I'll let you take a simple test to test your skills to see if I can fit you in our project. Hopefully I have found my student's replacement in you. You already radiate the aura of capability."

"Of course sir. When can I take the test?"

"Now if you wish. I have the questionnaire prepared."

_He's been thinking about this for quite a while huh? _Al thought. "Yes sir. I'll do my best."

"Good. Well, let's finish up our lunch. I'll have the exams arranged in a little while."

Al sighed in relief as he slumped down the chair outside Herr Ramon's office. Lunch was finished at 1:15 and the exams started fifteen minutes after. Al finished the test at 2:30, and overall he found it easier than he expected. He just hoped he answered them right.

"I hope I'll keep up with my lucky streak so far." Al muttered as he gazed at the clock. It was already 2:55.

_Oh please, oh please let me pass…_ Al thought fervently as time passed.

At 3:25, a soft pat on the shoulder awakened Al from his nap.

"Herr Alphonse?"

Al nearly jumped. "Oh, I'm so sorry Herr Ramon. I dozed off while waiting."

"It's all right." Ramon smiled kindly. "You look like you could use the rest anyway."

"So…sir, have you finished checking my results?"

"Yes I have." Ramon smiled even wider. "And I have to say little one, I'm really impressed. If it weren't for two misplaced answers, you could've aced my exams…"

Al's eyes glimmered hopefully.

"…which means there's no reason for me not to accept you to the team. Congratulations, Herr Alphonse, you've passed the exams. Welcome to our project."

"All right!" Al cheered. "I've finally got a job!"

"That is good, Herr Alphonse. Now let me show you to your office."

* * *

Al followed Herr Ramon through a long, twisting hallway for a while until they had stopped on a simple oak door with a small glass pane at the center.

"This is to be your office." Ramon said as he took out a key ring from his pocket and fumbled for the right key. Then, upon finding it, unlocked the door and opened the light.

Al squinted a bit before taking a good look around.

The office was a good sized one. It had an office table at the center, an office chair, a leather couch, some more chairs and a coffee table already set up inside. On one side of the room were a pile of boxes and some picture frames, obviously from the previous employee. Odd, why wasn't it carried out yet?

"Sorry about those boxes. We always tried to come around with packing them off. But we never got around to doing it." The older man sighed.

"It's all right. May I ask how long your student has been dead?"

"Three years, due to a terminal lung illness of some sort. The poor kid." Ramon shook his head. "And at a bad timing too. Not only have we lost a good member of the team, we also lost our funding too. If it weren't for a generous offer from one of the new government officials, our project would've died and all that poor boy's hard work would've been in vain."

"I understand."

"Our project thankfully resumed recently, and most of the members of the former team are still available for work. You'll be meeting them soon, Herr Alphonse."

"I'd be honored to meet them." Al smiled.

"Well, that's good. So, I guess I should leave you now to let you clean up the place and add a bit of personal touch. Should I call one of the janitors to assist you?"

"There's no need. I can do it by myself."

"As you wish." Ramon said. "Anyway, here's your gate pass. It's your entrance to this University until I get you a real ID…as well as your everyday food stub to the lunch counter."

Al chuckled at that.

"And tomorrow morning at seven will be your briefing, along with the other new members of the team. Then after that, I'll introduce you to your other superiors. You'll like them, Herr Alphonse. They're gifted with intelligence and kindness. I'm sure you will get along."

"I sincerely hope so." Al replied.

"Then, if you'll excuse me." Ramon smiled once more before leaving the room.

Al watched the door close before shifting his gaze to the boxes. "OK…now let's start cleaning up!"

The boy then began moving the furniture, tidying up dusty areas and then arranging the boxes.

Things were going smoothly until he came across a small picture frame of the deceased student.

"Wow, so this is the guy who died three years ago…" Al said, wonder in his eyes. "He looks so young. Well, at least he doesn't have to suffer from his illness anymore. That's good."

The student in the frame looked like in his late teens. The person he was with—the person Al had assumed based on appearance was the student's brother— looked only a few years older than him. Both had a crop of blonde hair, fair skin and medium build. There only difference was their eyes—the older one had more mature-looking bronze irises, while the student himself had youthfully round sapphire blue.

Looking at the picture, Al felt a sense of familiarity within the two…especially with how they look like…

"Ah, it's getting late! I'll take care of this tomorrow."

Al put the picture frame inside a drawer on his new office table, kept the boxes in an empty closet, then rushed out of the room and closed the door.

Hurriedly, he went to Herr Ramon's office to get the keys to his office and announce that he was done cleaning.

After that, Al made his long trek home for a good night's sleep.

Tomorrow, after all, will be his first day at work.

But even after Al had arrived at the hotel, washed and clothed himself for bed, and hopped into bed, he still can't help but think about the photo he had seen earlier.

_That student…_ he had thought. _I wonder what his name was…I'd better ask Herr Ramon someday…_

* * *

"_**LIFE GOES ON moeagaru  
**_"Life Goes On, passionately.  
_**Inochi ga aru kagiri,  
**_As long as I am alive,  
_**Shinjitsu no jibun sae miushinaisou soredemo…"  
**_Even if I were to lose sight of my real self…"

"_**LIFE GOES ON mamoritakute  
**_"Life Goes On, I want to protect it.  
_**Kokoro wa kudakarete  
**_My heart was shattered,  
_**Hontou no kanashimi wo shitta hitomi wa,  
**_And in these eyes that have seen true sorrow,  
_**ai ni afurete…"  
**_Love is overflowing.

* * *

Whew! That's done:D

The song "Life Goes On" by Mica Arisaka is the 2nd ED theme of Gundam Seed Destiny, which I honestly think would've been a fantastic series if not for the crappy, cliché and overally godforsaken plot and those damn overused/abused/recycled trash scenes **coughOPthemesequencescough**. And back then I thought Gundam Seed was bad… No offense, GSeed fans! I am a KiraxLacus and AsuCaga fan too!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy that. Comment and suggest anything you wish. Just please don't FLAME me! I have no real need for it, except to burn some annoying girly characters. And a few more…heheh.

Hope you enjoyed my chapter! See ya next time.

Logging away, JD


	6. Familiar Faces

Halu! Halu!  
So sorry for the long delay! Here is Chapter 6! Hope you guys enjoy, and forgive me for the lack of updates from me!

Long live anime!  
Disclaimer: looks back at previous chapters Uh…you have seen the other chapters, haven't you guys?

**XXX**

**DREAMSCAPE**

**CHAPTER VI— FAMILIAR FACES (?)**

"**Bokutachi wa mayoinagara…,  
**"We continue to search for our destination…,  
**tadoritsuku basho wo sagashitsudzuke  
**Even as we lose our way…  
**"Kanashikute namida nagashitemo…,  
**"Though tears may flow with our sadness…,  
**itsuka kagayaki ni kaete..."  
**They will shine with radiance someday…"

**tozashita kako ga ima mune wo yusaburu kara  
**The sealed past is starting to stir in my chest,  
**motomeru hodo tooku okizari no kokoro  
**The forgotten heart goes further each time I wish for it.  
**bokura wa ikiru hodo nanika wo ushinatte  
**The longer we live, the more we lose,  
**soredemo ashita eno yume wo sutetakunai**  
But even so I don't want to throw away my dreams for tomorrow.

**XXX**

Al stifled a yawn as he looked around his surroundings.  
It was freaking 6 AM, and it was freezing out at the gates of the University of Munich. But Al can't complain. He needed a job and will brave anything just to get one—including the unbearable weather that was already freezing his insides.

Al had arrived at the University two minutes ago and was having his temporary ID verified by the security officers before he was allowed to enter.  
The said officers, after some calls made to the main office, turned to Al and said. "OK, kid, you're free to go in."

Al nodded thankfully before taking back his ID and walking into the dimly lit compound.  
As he drew nearer to his destination, the boy let out a loud sneeze. "Argh, darn it! It's so cold here in the morning! I should get myself a really thick jacket with my first salary!"

"Herr Alphonse!"

Al looked up to see Herr Ramon waving at him. "Herr Ramon! Good morning!"  
The old man ran down from the main building steps to greet him. "Good morning to you as well, Herr Alphonse. It's good that you have made it just in time for this sudden meeting. I am sorry about the sudden change in the schedule. Herr Rudolf Hess, the Head of one of our most important sponsors for the project, insisted on meeting with everyone at this unholy hour!"

"It is fine, Herr Ramon, don't worry." Al replied as he allowed Herr Ramon to lead him inside. "How many people are attending this briefing to be exact?"  
"About everyone from the project is attending, especially our new recruits. Herr Hess wanted to see if there were any 'worthy' initiates among the new recruits for the Thule Society."

"Thule Society?"  
Herr Ramon gave Al a shocked look. "What was that? You don't know what the Thule Society is?"  
"Er…I'm sorry, Herr Ramon."  
"Sigh, you're really such a youngster, aren't you?" Herr Ramon smiled kindly. "Anyway, the Thule Society is an organization formed around the year 1918 by Rudolf von Sebottendorff that centered on the supremacy of the Aryan race. They are also very strongly connected to the government. It would be a very wise idea to join them if they find you…well, 'worthy', as they put."

"Uhm…I don't know…" Al said. "I still need to understand more about this Thule Society."  
"Your hesitation is understandable. Herr Hess anticipated that, which is why he assembled this briefing."  
"But Herr Ramon, are you a member of Thule Society?"  
"Me? No, I'm not. I was invited once before, during Thule Society's years of rise to power. But I am far too old to engage in such radical things. These kinds of organizations are more suitable for youthful people like you who can still live long enough to make a difference."

Then, Herr Ramon paused in front of a double door room.  
"Here we are." Herr Ramon said, patting Al on the shoulder. "Well, we'd better go in. Herr Hess is already inside."  
Al gave him a small smile before lifting the latch and entering the room.

XXX

Hours later…

_Good heavens, this must be the most boorish meeting I've ever been to… _Al thought as he listened on to the supposedly "enlightening" speech of the man before him and his group.  
The man, Rudolf Hess, appeared like an ordinary man. He had graying, blond hair, an aged but still handsome face and a rather large build dressed in an expensive business suit. Rudolf Hess introduced himself as a very important person in the very important Thule Society, the organization of the Aryans who are the supreme race.

And that was where the whole meeting revolved at—how great and oh-so-mighty the blonde, blue-eyed Aryans were and that they were supposed to be the ones who would rule the world.

Oh, and also that the "Jews" were the spawn of hell that should be destroyed without mercy.  
Yes, it was the most engaging conference Al had ever been in his entire life…so engaging that Al was praying to anyone who'd listen to keep him from yawning.

"Hey, you!"  
"Huh?" Al's grey eyes swept to his side to see a guy with sandy blonde hair and black eyes eyeing him strangely. Al gasped at what he saw.  
_Denny? First Lt. Denny?!_

"Hellooo!" The Denny look alike waved at Al. "Hey, are you OK?"

"Oh? Oh yes, sorry. What is it?" Al asked, feeling uncomfortable at the man's gaze and at the internal battle that was going on within him. _It can't be. This can't be our Firs Lt. Denny. This must be the Denny of this world. After all, I'm not in Armestis anymore, right? And besides, how sure am I that his name IS Denny?_  
"Is it just me?" The man cut through his thoughts with a smirk. "Or does it look like this is boring the hell out of you?"  
Al shot him a sheepish glance before sighing, pushing his thoughts at the back of his mind, and shrugging. "Yeah, well, why? Doesn't it bore the hell out of you?"

The man grinned at him. "Thank God for that! I thought I was the only one not staring at that old man with stars in my eyes!"  
Al stifled a laugh. "You exaggerate!"  
"You think? Take a look at my friend over here!" The man gestured to his seatmate, a brown girl with blue eyes who was staring admirably at Rudolf Hess. "I swear when we get back to our apartment, she'll make an altar for Herr Rudolf Hess!"

Sensing that her friend was talking about her, the woman turned to the blonde stranger and frowned. "Oh, keep your lies to yourself, fool!" Then she smiled sweetly at Al. "Forgive this idiot. He makes up the weirdest things."  
But Al was busy gaping again at the new familiar face.

_Captain Maria Ross! Oh just great, how many more familiar faces do I have to see here?!_ Al thought, shaking at the unnerving situation going on.  
"Uhm, excuse me…?"  
"I'm sorry!" Al said suddenly, trying to ignore his thoughts again. "I was just…thinking of some things…"  
"It's OK. Don't worry. You must really have a lot in mind." She smiled at him. Al felt oddly comfortable at her smile, just like how comfortable he felt whenever he was with Captain Maria.

She and Colonel Riza Hawkeye were like his caring older sisters in the military.  
And sisters made him think of his own brother…  
God, how he missed Armestis right now…but not as much as he missed Ed.

"And that puts our discussion to a close!" Rudolf Hess ended with a loud boom, nearly making Al jump. "Thank you for listening, children of our motherland! We, the Thule Society, once again call upon your support! Long live Germany!"  
"LONG LIVE, GERMANY!" Everyone but Al chorused.  
"Uhm…long live, Germany?" Al added meekly. _I have got to fit in this place somehow…_

XXX

After Rudolf Hess had taken his seat for a short break, Al sat back and yawned. "Ah, I'm so sleepy!"  
The blonde beside him grinned. "So I noticed. Well, can't say I can blame you. After all, it's just seven-thirty in the morning. Anyway…" He extended his hand to the younger boy. "Nice to meet you, kid. I'm Denny, rocket science student and a member of the University's Rocket Project."

Al froze. "Wait…what was your name again?"  
"Hmmm? I said I'm Denny, Denny Brosh."  
Al inwardly gasped. So he IS the Denny Brosh of this world. Who would've thought he'd meet the happy-go-lucky First Lt. at work.

"Hey, kid?"  
"Oh! I'm sorry! It's nice to meet you too…Denny." Al said as he shook Denny's hand. "Thanks. I'm Alphonse, but you can just call me Al."  
"Not a problem, Al. Oh, and this lady beside me," Denny gestured at the brunette behind him. "This is Maria Ross, a student majoring in chemistry."

"Pleasure to meet you, Al." Maria said kindly, shaking hands with Al. "So you're the new member of the team we've heard of. Are you a student here as well, or a student from another place?"  
"Well…actually, I'm not a student. I was just picked by Herr Ramon. Before he came along, I was supposed to work at a nail making factory."  
"No really?!" Denny gasped. "But you're just a kid! Hell you even look a lot younger than us!"

"I might look young, but believe me, I'm sixteen." Al replied, still smiling. "So anyway, are there other members from the team I should meet?"  
"Oh, well…" Maria looked around then pointed at a black haired teen with spectacles. "That would be Kain Fuery, a student majoring in math and one of the project's mathematicians."

_Second Lt. Fury__…!_

"And that…" Denny said as he pointed to a girl with bushy, brown hair who also wore glasses. "That would be Ms. Sheska Fritz. She is the library assistant who has this uncanny talent to memorize whatever she reads and writes. Cool, huh?"

_Private Sheska__…!_

"And that man over there is a senior Physics student, Frank Archer."

_Lt. Col. Archer…!_

"Another Chemistry student, two years older than Maria, Zolfrano Kimblee…"

_Lt. Col. Kimblee…!_

"And that would be one of the other heads of this project…" Maria said in a hushed voice, eyeing the said man with a tinge of fear in her eyes. "That's the Head of the Physics Dept—Professor Basque Grand!"

_Good heavens, even the deceased Brigadier General?! I feel like I'm going to faint!_

"Well, that's pretty much everyone in the room so far. There's a lot more to meet, but they'll be here around eight-thirty." Denny said before he caught the sight of Al's pale face. "Al?"

But Al couldn't hear him. He was too shocked and overwhelmed by the sight of the familiar faces—especially with the familiar DEAD faces—he was seeing. It was too much…

And then suddenly, he saw flashes of light and…

"_I am Second Lt. Maria Ross, at your service sir Fullmetal Elric, sir!"  
_

"_What? You mean the Fullmetal Alchemist is this shrimp—?!"  
_

"_I know they always say that someday I'll be buried alive by my own books, but I didn't think they meant it literally…!"_

"_I want him to have time to think about his death… and reflect on how meaningless his efforts have been…"_

_Wh…what is all this?! _Al thought as he held his head in pain. _Are these…flashbacks? My lost memories…from my four years with Niisan? Are my memories finally coming back?_

"Al! Hey, Alphonse, are you OK?"  
"Alphonse!"

But before Al could reply to the worried call of his new friends, everything went black.

**XXX**

**kanashimi no riyuu de sae mo tsuyoku dakishimeteitai  
**I want to strongly embrace even the reasons for our sadness.  
**toorisugita kisetsu no sono saki ni nani ga aru no darou**  
I wonder what lies before us as the seasons pass.  


**bokutachi wa mayoinagara  
**We continue to search for our destination,  
**tadoritsuku basho wo sagashitsudzuke  
**Even as we lose our way.  
**kanashikute namida nagashitemo  
**Though tears may flow with our sadness,  
**itsuka kagayaki ni kaete  
**They will shine with radiance someday.  
**'Cause I'm Never Gonna Stop Streakin' My Dream**

**XXX**

Well, that's all! Thanks for reading again!

See you next chapter.

And to answer some possible Qs:

**Capt. Ross? First Lt. Brosh? Should their respective ranks be Second Lt. and Sgt. Master?  
**_Hey, it's been 4 years in Armestis right? It can occur that they'll be promoted, of course! _

**How come Al knows the dead officers (Kimblee, Archer and Grand) if he doesn't have his memories from the four years with Ed?**

_When Al became State Alchemist, he had open access to all the military files. It is safe to assume he came across the files about the dead officers._

**Ooooh! Flashback thingies! Wait, what just happened?**

_Hmmm…maybe it's because he saw so many familiar faces it just triggered something…?_

**How many more Armestis cameos will we meet in this fic?**

_I'm planning to use as many as possible. Other alter-versions of Aremstis people we might see in this fic will be Roy, Riza, Armstrong, Hughes (he Was in the movie, after all) and more surprises. grins_

**Just when will Al meet Ed again?**

_That's for me to know, and for you beloved readers to find out!_

Again, please read and review! Thank you very much!


	7. Serene Mobius

A/N: First off, I'd like to give all my readers a big apology. I've been out of commission for a long time due to personal reasons. College is just one of them, and I've been having problems with work and what I really want to do. I know it's not fair, and it's not even an excuse, but that's what's been going on. It's been years, and I've probably let a lot of people down already. For that I'm really sorry. I'm trying to pick up the pieces and jump back. It's not easy, but this is a start.

Most of you are probably reading fics on FMA: Brotherhood, but if you decided to pick up this work once more and see if it's still worth it, I'll do my best not to disappoint. I hope this makes up for the long wait (I know for me it won't, but I do hope it compensates for a bit). I'll update ASAP based on the feedback I get. Nevertheless, I WILL continue. I won't abandon my fanfics. That's like abandoning your children, and I hate people who do that!

With that said, again a big thank you to all of you guys, and hope you enjoy this fic!

Disclaimer: Standards apply. Don't own FMA. Nor the song. But the idea, mine. Naturally. :D

* * *

Somewhere definitely not in Munich…

"Wait a sec, are you serious?"

A loud clatter followed by a scolding hiss sounded in the room. It took a few seconds for another voice, a sighing one that was definitely female, spoke afterwards.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. While most of the rebels' base was destroyed, thanks to the infiltrating team's efforts, much of them have withdrawn into another secret location."

"No shit! Just how many secret camps do those guys have?"

"But how was it that they were able to escape in the first place?" A new voice, subtle but definitely male, queried. "We had the whole place surrounded after following the infiltration team. Where could they have gotten out?"

"That's problem number two, actually." The female voice said. "It appears that we have…underestimated our enemy. They've had help from not just disgruntled citizens, but also from foreigners from the east."

The first male voice gasped. "East? As in that country…?"

"Crap that can't be good! Don't they also have skilled alchemists over there?"

"More of skilled fighters, but yes, they have skilled alchemists with…unique ways of transmutation. They will certainly a handful." The female supplied for her companions.

"So we're dealing with rebels as well as foreigners? But why would the Easterners get involved with this? Do you think it has something to do with—?"

"A year ago, yes I think so. Because if it was about **that**…" The female paused carefully. "I wouldn't blame them."

"…How's the General doing?"

A sharp silence took the area before the female spoke in a subdued tone. "He's recovered from the injuries, but not from what happened back at the rebel base. He has hardly eaten since he woke up."

"Taking in too much guilt again. Damn, if the bullets don't get you killed in this job, the guilt sure will."

A soft affirmative. "…Indeed."

* * *

**Dreamscape**

**Chapter VII—Serene Mobius  
**

_Mijika ni aru mono  
_**You've gotta be extra careful with**_  
Tsune ni ki o tsuketeinai to_  
**The things that are close and dearest to you**_  
Amari ni chikasugite_  
**The closer you get to something**_  
Miushinatte shimaisou_  
**The tougher it is to see it**

* * *

"_Wh…wha…?"_

_Warm. The first thing Al noticed as soon as he had regained some sense of alertness was the strange warmth that emanated from the place, followed by a sense of lightness. Al shook his head a bit before forcing his eyes back open again. "What…what just happened to me, again? And where is this place?"_

_After regaining his vision, Al realized that he was lying face up in a seemingly infinite world of blue sky and white clouds over his head and green grass on his feet. The sun was shining brightly, but not burning, above him and the scant flowers from where he lay on were brushing gently against his arms and legs._

_It was strange, but for some reason, Al felt safe in this place, even though he had no idea where he was._

"_**I'm not surprised, considering that this is the kind of place that you would consider your haven."**_

"_What?" Al sat up in surprise. There was someone else here with him? "Wait! Is someone there?"_

"_**No need to be alarmed of me. I come in peace, you know." **__A soft footfall from behind him made Al look back to meet the eyes of his companion in the strange place._

_He was tall, older than him by a few years more or less. Shoulder length blonde hair framed his smooth pale face as blue eyes regarded the smaller boy with mirth and gentleness. __**"It's nice to meet you, Alphonse…san, wasn't it? That's how you call acquaintances in your language, yes? Forgive me, I'm not that skilled in your tongue or customs."**_

"_Uh yes, that's right." Al nodded hesitantly at the polite stranger before him. "And who exactly are you?"_

"_**Me? Well, you can say that I am your visiting guide in this peaceful place, a friend, or perhaps your guardian angel sent by God. But since you don't really give much thought or belief about Him, unlike I do,"**__ The man laughed at Al's surprise. __**"At the very least, you can consider me as someone you can trust. Of all the things I am now, I am certainly no threat."**_

"_Well, since you're not doing anything threatening, I suppose I can try to believe you." Al relaxed a bit. Even if the man was against him, there was no reason to jump on him when he was acting friendly. That didn't mean that Al can't keep his guard up. "So where exactly is here anyway?"_

_The man however seemed to sense Al's still lingering uneasiness and smiled. __**"Try to believe, yes I think that can work for now. Anyway, how am I to explain this to a person like you, a person who only believes in what he sees, what he can touch and study—and this place is anything but that."**_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_**Think of it as your very own limbo, Alphonse-san." **__The man explained. __**"Or a place where the soul goes whenever it's knocked out of commission. This is a retreat haven in your own mind, embodied by what you perceive as comforting and peaceful."**_

"_Huh? You mean all this…" Al looked around. "Is a place inside my mind? I'm inside my mind right now?"_

"_**You slipped to unconsciousness earlier, and that's what got you here." **__The man nodded. __**"I'm quite surprised since you just woke up before you came. Do you remember what happened?"**_

_

* * *

anata ga saikin taiken shita  
_**Explain to me this happiness**_  
shiawase wa ittai nan desu ka  
_**That you just got to experience  
**_megumare sugite ite  
_**Or maybe you're so blessed that  
**_omoidase nai kamo  
_**You can't even remember it all**

* * *

"_I…I remember being in the University…" Al frowned thoughtfully. "Then I was in a meeting with some people…I made some friends and then I saw…them…"_

_Ross, Brosh, Fury, Kimblee, even Shieska…Al groaned as he held his head. "I had some weird flashbacks in my head afterwards, and for a moment I thought I remembered my past. But now when I try to think of it, all I still have are bits and pieces."_

"_**It's possible that you revived a bit of your buried memories by seeing triggering familiar faces." **__The man before him said gently. __**"These memories will come back to you in time. Don't worry. You should focus on getting better."**_

"…_Thanks." Al smiled ruefully. "Though I don't think I'll fully get them back. I…I heard that it wasn't possible."_

_Roy had told him once, in theory, that the reason why Al had probably forgotten his years of traveling with Ed was because it was the price the Fullmental alchemist had to pay for rescuing his brother. This made it seem really close to impossible to retrieve all of said memories, and the most he can probably get is flashes here and there…_

"…_**I don't think so, at least not anymore anyway." **__The man interrupted Al's thoughts, making the boy jump. At Al's shocked and confused look, the man shrugged. __**"Hey, this is your mind after all. I can hear your thoughts as loudly as you can. And let's just say…I know a little bit more about what's going on than you do."**_

"_WHAT?" Al face palmed. "You can read my mind? SERIOUSLY!"  
__**"A—as I said, I can hear them plain as day. I'm not even trying to…" **__The man sweatdropped. __**"What's important for you to know is that not everything in this world is as black and white as where you were from anymore. That Gate, or whatever you call it, has a different kind of hold here, because there is a different dominating force here that the Gate of your world just can't mess around with."**_

_Al's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow! You sure know a lot! I wish I could understand what you're saying."_

"_**Comes with being…what I am now." **__The man said softly. __**"And I really wish I can help you understand further, but this is all I'm allowed to tell you for now."**_

"_Wait! But if the Gate's hold on me here is weakened, then why did it dump me here in the first place?" Al figured that since the man knew about the Gate and pretty much had access to most of his mind, then probably the man already knew who he really was and where he was from._

_And obviously the man did. __**"A great mystery indeed, isn't it? Normally it wouldn't bring you here—and with your Gate being one of the most obtuse beings I've ever heard of, I seriously doubt it—but let's just say the Gate is not the only player in this game anymore."**_

"…_Oh crap, did you just say I'm actually a pawn in some higher power's fancy game of chess again?" Like Al's life hadn't been all about that up to this point!_

"_**In a way, yes, but at least take comfort in the fact," **__The man's eyes twinkled. (A/N: no not like the freaky I-know-something-you-don't!Dumbledore kind of way. …Just had to say that. Sorry. :D) __**"That there's someone actually playing the game for your benefit."**_

_Al paused for a bit before a soft shine spread through his face. "If there's really someone…rooting for me (not using "playing" on this one, no definitely not), then does that mean…that I can see my niisan again?"_

_The man regarded Al for a second before smiling softly. __**"Even in the direst and most hopeless of times, all you can think of is seeing him again, ne? There was a time in my life when I too had such devotion. I tell you this from experience, Alphonse-san, that if one holds onto hope as a guiding light for the journey, then you will definitely make it come true."**_

_Al gasped. "Really? Does that mean I have a shot?" _

"_**Every step one takes in a journey can either hasten or lengthen it, and sometimes even hurdles are necessary for you to reach your goal." **__The man added. __**"But believe me, Alphonse-san when I say that you have MORE than a shot in finding your…niisan again. This world can give you more answers about everything than you dreamed of, if you push things to your favor."**_

_Al could've jumped in glee again at the sheer joy and hope he felt flood his being. I can see niisan, I can be with niisan! And being dumped in this world could help me find him! Oh, I feel like I'm starting to believe that there is God!_

_After the man spoke, a bright light suddenly cut through the peaceful place, making Al jump. "What—what's happening?"_

_The man tilted his head and looked up, seeing that the light was slowly but surely taking over everything in sight. __**"About time. I think you're just about to wake up."**_

"_WHAT? No, I can't leave just yet!" Al turned frantic. "I still have so many questions."_

"_**All in due time, Alphonse-san." **__The man then blinked. __**"And did that line just make sound so damn old?"**_

"_But…but…" Al bit his lip. "Will I ever come back here?"_

"_**This is your mind, Alphonse-san," **__The man said. __**"Coming here and back is as easy as sleeping and waking up everyday. And don't worry, I'll always be here. Remember, I'm your visiting guide."**_

"…_Thanks." Al said as the light took him away from the place. A few moments later, the plane was restored as it was before Al left, with the man standing all by himself, still smiling serenely._

"_**Gott segnet sie[1], Herr Alphonse."**_

_

* * *

ima koko ni iru koto  
_**That you are standing here with me  
**_iki o shiteiru koto  
_**That you live and breathe and see and feel  
**_tada sore dake no koto ga  
_**They're all little miracles and wonder  
**_kiseki da to kizuku  
_**Just by themselves.  
**

* * *

"_Is this what an…Aryan looks like up close?" _A soft voice spoke while a finger poked his face. _"Doesn't look too tough to me!"_

"Mmm…" Al groaned out, trying to open his eyes again as he regained consciousness in the real world. _Wh—what happened?_

Another poke. The voice became clearer now. "Some divine race they make. If all of them look this weak and pathetic, they'll die out quick!"

_WEAK AND PATHETIC? _Al mentally twitched. _Who does this woman think she is? And what's with all the poking?_

And another damn poke. "I bet we can take him on any day, ne Xiao—?"

_OK that's it! I've had it! _"Stop that, will—?"

An irritated Al quickly opened his eyes…to find that before him was a girl whose face was only inches away from him.

A few seconds of silence before a loud scream.

"PERVERT!" The girl cried again and again, shaking her head as if Al had really done something bad.

"WHAT? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SNEAKED UP ON ME IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Al shouted defensively as he backed away as far as possible from the girl. Unfortunately, there was no wall on the side of the bed from where he was. It was too late boy found out just that, and he ended up falling butt first to the floor. "OWW!"

"What's going on here?" Another loud female voice called out, and a few seconds later, the owner came into view. She was a fair, Asian woman wearing a light colored smock with pulled back black hair and slanted brown eyes. After looking at both Al and the strange girl for a bit, she groaned. "Oh my gosh, Herr Alphonse, I am so sorry! Are you all right?"

"Y—yeah, I guess." Al answered her as the nurse (obviously) helped him up. "I didn't mean to startle you too with the noise we caused."

"It's not your fault, sir." The woman then glared at the girl next to Al's bed, who looked absolutely mortified. "May, what did I tell you about disturbing our clients? This is the third time this week! Do you really want us to get sent out?"

It was then that Al had fully glanced at the girl for the first time. May, as she was called, was an Asian shorter than him by a head and a half. She was wearing a drab gray and maroon school uniform, and her hair was styled with braids cascading under the two buns on either side of her head. And it was also the first time that he noticed a strange looking white and black spotted…hamster [2] that was perched on her shoulder, who apparently liked him as much as its master did.

Which was, not so very much. "It was _his_ fault! He was the one who suddenly made such a huge fuss!" May justified, flashing a glare at Al. "I just wanted to see what an Aryan looks like! He was the one who suddenly jumped and came real close to me. He got lucky I didn't knock him back to the heaven where he just been to!"

_Who would not make such a fuss over a girl's face being inches away when you just woke up? _Al seethed quietly. The nurse sighed. "May, the patients are not your toys! Oh, why am I having this with you now? Off to the front desk with you now. I'll be back shortly."

"Auntie—!"

"Now young lady!"

May opened her mouth to say something but thankfully just pouted and turned away. "Let's go, Xiao Mei!"

With that, the girl left in a huff.

Al blinked as he watched her leave. "Well that was…weird."

"I am so sorry, Herr Alphonse!" The woman bowed to him. "That child can be mischievous, but she usually means well. Please don't take this against her."

"No, I won't. She's quite the little bundle of energy, ne?" Al replied understandingly. "Your niece, right?"

"My sister's daughter. We migrated from China a few months ago." The nurse said. "She's studying in a nearby middle school and drops by during her free period and pokes around whatever and whenever she could."

"I was like that at her age." _And still am, to be honest. _Al added silently.

"Well, anyway, you should rest up some more, Herr Alphonse. Your fainting spell was probably due to lack of sleep. I'll call your co-workers to let you know that you're doing better."

"Thanks so much, miss…?"

The nurse smiled. "It's Adeline [3], Herr Alphonse."

Al smiled kindly back at her. "Right, Miss Adeline, and please, call me Al."

_

* * *

mijika ni aru mono tsune ni ki o tsuketeinai to  
_**You've gotta be extra careful with the things that are close and dearest to you  
**_amari ni chikasugite miushinatte shimaisou_**  
The closer you get to something, the tougher it is to see it  
**  
**You know the closer you get to something  
The tougher it is to see it  
And I'll never take it for granted**

* * *

"Ria, hey Ria, he's up! Al's up already!"

"Really, really?" A shuffle of feet reached his ears as Al struggled to open his eyes again. "Al! Al! Are you awake now?"

"M—Maria-san?" Al shook his head and offered the frantic Maria a smile. "Yes, I'm awake now. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Hey, Al!" Demy greeted from behind Maria. "Thank goodness you're OK! The nurse said you collapsed because of fatigue. No surprise there, considering that we were called up in this God forsaken hour of the day!"

"Well, I hope you had a good sleep, since you slept in all morning, or most of it anyway." Maria said. "And the whole team's gathered up in the conference room! Everyone's teeming to meet the youngest member of the group!"

"Though I'd brace myself, if I were you," Demy warned Al. "Not everyone's nice as they appear. For starters, Herr Kimbley is known to scare the hell out of newbies. And the crazy head of the Finance division too!"

"I bet it'll be one crazy ride for me, huh?" Al smiled sheepishly. "OK, I'm game. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be all set."  
"What, seriously?" Demy raised an eyebrow. "You going to meet them? Are you sure you don't need to rest some more?"  
"Positive. Besides, I am pretty excited myself!"

"OK then." Mari beamed. "We'll be waiting for you outside! Come on, Dem. Let's leave Al so that he can get ready."

"You don't have to tell me that! AND WHY ARE YOU PULLING ON MY EAR AGAIN?"

A few minutes later, Al fixed his uniform and met with his new friends outside the ward. After saying a polite goodbye to Adeline, Al followed Demy and Maria to the conference room where his new colleagues where.

Maria laid a hand on the doorknob before turning to Al. "You ready, Freund [4]?"

_Am I really ready? _Al thought for a moment. _Once I go in and meet with these people, I'll finally be a part of this world and probably leave my mark on it through them. Once I step into that room and become one of them, there's no turning back._

_Niisan…I hope this is the right thing to do. _The boy's eyes then hardened._ For me to be able to find you again, I can do anything!_

"Yeah. Let's go."

Gott segnet sie indeed.

_oitsuzuketekita yume akiramezu ni susume yo nante  
_**It's fine to say "Never give up" and "Keep on chasing your dreams"**

_KIREI koto o ieru hodo nani mo dekichainai kedo  
_**But the more time you spend talking big the less you get done with life  
**_hitonigiri no yuuki o mune ni ashita o ikinuku tame ni  
_**I'll let that handful of courage in my heart**

**And I'll never take it for granted  
Let's go**

**

* * *

CHAPTER SONG: **_**Closer**_** by Inoue Jou. Naruto Shippuuden OP4.**

So there you have it! Wow that was a long write up!

Footnotes!

_Yes, I will be adding tidbits of foreign languages every now and then. There will be a handful of foreign words in the story (namely, German, Chinese, Italian and maybe Spanish) to add a cultural feel in this fic. More of that coming soon!_

[1] German: God bless you

[2] I don't think Al knows what a panda is, considering that there has been no mention of Xing in the first anime (where this fanfic is largely based on) and even if he does, aren't pandas usually big? Xiao Mei is…you know.

[3] A tribute to one of my favorite authors, the inspirational Adeline Yen Mah. Read her works, _Chinese Cinderella_ and _Falling Leaves_. Guaranteed to tear to the core of your human heart!

[4] German: friend

A note to my readers: I have been vaguely familiar with the manga and the Xing characters (particularly Ling Yao) long before FMA Brotherhood showed up, but I never intended to add them in this fanfic until recently. I came across an interesting idea of portraying Asian immigrants to the west and how they lived their lives there (not very good, I'm afraid). I feel for them since I'm an Asian myself. Big kudos to my literary teacher for shedding light to this subject and for inspiring me to write about them here!

Follow up on pairings: Another personal note, I am an AlMay fan myself, alongside Royai and a new convert to EdWin (blame the second anime for that). But as I have said before, I will not add any real romance to this fanfic. There will be hints scattered throughout every now, but mainly for the purpose of keeping the characters as true to the canon as possible (ex: Riza's loyalty to Mustang). If there are requests, we can probably iron things out. :D

Thanks so much for reading and also for leaving a review (if you will, that's really big for me!) I appreciate all feedback (or rants as to why I only updated NOW…but please keep them polite. We are civilized people here).

To all of you, a big thank you for inspiring me to write again! I am extremely grateful! God bless everyone.

**Coming up!**

_EASY GO – Building Blocks_

Al finally meets the other members of the team, with some receptions more enthusiastic (or scary) than the others. But when it comes down to work, everyone gets really serious. Can Al handle the competitive pressure? And what's the deal with the Aryan hating Chinese girl and her "hamster" who thinks that Al's leg is a scratching post?


End file.
